Attachment for windmills



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

W. S. BRIGGS. ATTACHMENT FOR WINDMILLS.

No" 442,417. Patented D0049, 1890.-

ai wewfoz (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. S. BRIGGS. ATTACHMENT FOR WINDMILLS.

No. 442,417. Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

wnmfmm i illan GHQ 1 1 10% NITE n STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVINFIELD S. BRIGGS, OF BEEMER, NEBRASKA.

ATTACHMENT FOR \NINDMILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442317, dated December 9, 1890.

Application filed June 28, 1890.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WINFIELD S. BRIGGS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Beemer, in the county of Coming and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for \Vindmills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic attachments for windmills.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and durable attachment for windmills, so that the pump-rod operated by the wind-wheel may be thrown out of gear by means of connections attached to a float in the tank, so that the water in said tank will be kept automatically at the same level; and it consists in the construction and combina tion of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view ofa part of the frame of a windmill and of a water-tank, showing my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of the attachments which engage with the mechanism operated by the tank-float. Fig. is a side view of the same, partly in section. Fig. I is a sectional view onlinexac of Fig. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the mechanism connected to the float.

A refers to a portion of the tower or framework which supports the wind-wheel, and may be of any preferred construction.

B refers to the vertical reciprocating shaft of the windmill, which may be continued to form the piston-rod of the pump, or said piston-rod can be connected thereto in any suitable manner. Upon the reciprocating rod B is secured by means of straps or loops 1) b a sliding bar C, the inner face of which is provided with ratchet'teeth (2, formed upon a metallic strip which is recessed and properly secured to said bar. The rod B is also provided with ratchet-teeth (Z.

D refers to a sliding block which is se- Serial No. 357,123. (No model.)

cured to the rods B and C to move freely thereon by means of loops 6 and e, and this block is recessed on one side, within which lies a rack-bar E, which is centrally pivoted, the ends being bent so as to engage with pins or studs f, which project laterally from the spring-pawls F and F, which are let into the opposite edges of the block D, and are thrown normally outwardly by springs which bear upon said pawls, said springs being shown in dotted lines. These spring-pawls are pivoted within recesses formed in the blocks and engage with the rack-bars C and D when not drawn inwardly by the rack-bar E. The lower end of the sliding block is provided with an eye through which passes a flexible connection G, guided over a suitable pulley. Said connection extends upwardly and is attached to suitable mechanism by means of which the wind-wheel can be thrown out of the wind, the sliding block being moved upward by the" reciprocations of the rod when the pawls are in engagement with the ratchets, and said block will fall when out of engagement with the ratchets.

The rack-bar E is provided with a pivoted arm h near its upper end, to which is attached a rod 1', the opposite end of said rod being secured to a sliding bar I, attached to the post J. The sliding bar I is provided with slots 70 7.", through which pins pass for securing the same movably to the post .I and at the same time holding said sliding bar in a horizontal position. ()no end of'the sliding bar has a projecting stud I, while its upper edge is notched, as shown at Z, for the engagement of a gravitypawl m, havingan outwardly-proj ecting finger, with which the upper inclined face at of the lever N engages, so as to raise said pawl and permit the sliding bar to move. The bent or bell-crank lever N is pivoted to the post J, and the upper end of the same is shaped, as shown, to provide an edge which will engage the stud 1', as well as an inclined face for em gagement with the finger which projects from the pawl m, and to the lower arm of this lever N, by means of a suitable connection 0, is attached a float located within the tank.

From the foregoing description the construction of the parts will be obvious, the operation of which is as follows: hen the water falls in the tank below the desired level,

the lower end of the pivoted bell-crank lever N will fall, and by engagement with the lug Z will pull the sliding bar I to one side, where it will be held by the pawl m, engaging with the notch. This movement draws upon the rackbar E so as to retract the spring-pawls, and the movable block D, having no support, falls, thereby slacking the cord G and allows the wind-wheel to assume an operative position. After sufficient water has been pumped into the tank by the wind-wheel the lower arm of the lever will be raised and the upper face thereof contact with the pawl or catch and release it from its notch, so that the bar I will slide and cease, through the medium of the rod 1', to exert a pressure upon the rack-bar, which permits the pawls to engage with the racks, and as the windmill continues to operate the sliding block D will be raised, so as to draw upon the cord G and throw the wheel out of engagement. Thus it will be observed that this apparatus does its work when the plunger-rod pulls, which gives to said rod greater lasting power and obviates the objection which exists in some other similar devices-viz., that the windmill has to raise a weight when it starts to pumping. lVit-h my device the connection is slack, so that the windmill can start at once to work without raising a weight.

I am aware that prior to my invention automatic regulators for windmills, operated by a float in a tank, have heretofore been used, said float actuating paw-ls which engage with ratchet-teeth on a bar having a weight and connections extending upwardly to the mechanism of the wind-wheel; and I do not claim such construction,broadly, as my invention; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the bar 13, having ratchet-teeth, a sliding block D, carrying a spring-pawl and pivoted rack-bar, a flexible connection G, secured to said sliding block and extended downwardly over a pulley and from thence upwardly to the mechanism for turning the wheel out of the wind, and a rod connected to a sliding bar which is operated bya bent lever carrying a float, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the reciprocating ratchet-bar B and stationary ratchet-bar O, of a slide secured between the same and provided with spring-pawls F and F, a pivoted rack -bar, the ends of which engage with said pawls, means for connecting the same to mechanism for drawing upon or loosening said connecting-rod; said means being actuated by a float, and a flexible connection secured to said slide and extending upward to the mechanism for turning the wheel out of the wind, substantially as shown.

3. In combination with a reciprocating ratchet-bar B, a stationary ratchetba-rC, a slide provided with spring-actuated pawls, means, substantially as shown, for retracting said pawls, and a flexible connection secured to the lower end of the slide, said flexibleconnection passing over a suitable guide-pulley upward to the mechanism for turning the wheel out of the wind, so that the sliding block will travel upward to operate said flexible connection, substantially as set forth.

4.. In. combination with a sliding block D, provided with a rackbar E, a connection '6, attached to said rack-bar and to a sliding bar I, said bar having a catch and projecting lug, a lever having inclined faces, as shown, for engagement with the lug, and a finger carried by a pivoted catch, the lower end of said lever being provided with a float, together with a flexible connection secured to block D and extending up tothe mechanism for turning the wheel out of the wind, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l VINFIELD S. BRIGGS. Witnesses:

A. D. BEEMER, RUssEL M. FRASER. 

